KOTA KINABALU: Tan Sri Bernard Dompok has agreed with the suggestion by several Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) witnesses including assemblymen, to recall all identity cards issued in Sabah to preserve the integrity of these documents.
The former Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister said recalling all the ICs was one of the methods to solve illegal immigrant issues in Sabah.
"Although this may sound extreme, it has to be done.
"I am sure people would not mind as long as the identities of true Sabahans can be revealed," he said while testifying at the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Friday.
"There was a study conducted on this issue and from the study we found that about 257,026 ICs are dubious," he said.
Dompok, who is the former Sabah Chief Minister and current United Pasokmomobun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) president, also said laws must be changed and enforced if the government really wanted to solve the problem.
"All Malaysian documents which have been given out to non-Malaysians dubiously should be retracted and their names taken out of the electoral roll," he added.
Earlier, Dompok said he resigned from his post as chairman of the federal select committee after noticing that there were integrity issues within government officers and the committee.
"I was conducting an interview with government officers on issues pertaining to the immigrant problems faced in Sabah but the people were reluctant to speak.
"At one point, they were ordered not to attend the interviews anymore," he said.
Source: The Star Online (21/6/2013)
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2013%2F6%2F21%2Fnation%2F20130621213300&sec=nation
